


running up that hill

by goldenmelancholy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Brief mention of animal death, Eren/Armin Endgame, Eventual Smut, M/M, Minor season 3 spoilers, Modern Era, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Some Humor, Suspense, Trans Armin Arlert, Werewolves, and here i am like 5 yrs later lol, everyone is 21+, this is a fic i've always wanted to write, this is entirely self indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenmelancholy/pseuds/goldenmelancholy
Summary: “It’s a date, then.” Eren blows warm air onto his palms, rubbing them together. He begins to walk back towards the complex, turning his back to Armin. Armin’s chest tightens, the statement astonishing him before he can call out a reply.“Only if you bring me flowers.” Armin shouts from the window, a smile plastered to his face as he puts the car into reverse.Adate.—Shiganshina is plagued with strange attacks and Armin Arlert realizes he doesn't know his best friend as well as he thought he did.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 31
Kudos: 72





	1. You Don't Want To Hurt Me

**Author's Note:**

> after five long years, i'm finally diving back into aot and writing a fic i've been itching to make for ages! i hope you enjoy this slow burn fic riddled with werewolves, even if their appearance is much later. thank you to my amazing friends for their help and encouragement, enjoy!

An evening fog has cast over the tiny town of Shiganshina, Armin grips onto the steering wheel with a smile. Hot air warms his cheeks as a Kate Bush single pounds over the speakers. Just past 8 o’clock, the roads are empty and dark. They twist through the thick wood around them, blanketed with leaves. With Christmas right around the corner, they’re lucky to have a moment without traffic. Armin glances over at his passenger seat for a moment, catching his best friend mid-performance.

Eren is lip-syncing dramatically, moving in his seat and swaying to the song. His long, brunette hair bounces with him, leaving the ponytail it was trapped in. Eren catches Armin’s fleeting gaze, shimmying his shoulders to make Armin laugh. Eren always makes a show of their time together, he knows how to make Armin crack up. It’s a nice mix of chemistry that Armin doesn’t get from anybody else.

“You’re going to make me crash.” Armin warns, turning his attention back to the road as Eren sips at their shared soda left over from their fast food feast. He and Eren went out to dinner, if you want to call a shared ten-piece nugget combo a meal.

Eren sips at their shared soda. “You should look at the road and not my amazing distraction.” Eren shrugs his shoulders, smiling as he eases back into the seat. Eren whistles along to the song as he looks forward, still bobbing his head. He seems to be enjoying himself, that’s all Armin can ask for right now.

“Yeah, _distraction_ ,” Armin quips, brushing the hair from his face. “Are you feeling any better?” He keeps his eyes on the road, his headlights piercing through the thick fog. He could swear he sees snow, but nothing sticks to the windshield.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It's been a long day.” Eren blinks slowly, both hands cradling the paper cup. Armin lets out a long breath, his shoulders easing; Normally, Eren would have been talking his ear off but today, he has been quiet. Armin assumes it’s because of Eren’s job, but jamming out after a meal seems to have cheered him up, at least.

This type of thing is normal for them, picking each other up for a quick bite. It’s more of an excuse to see each other while appearing productive. Eren relishes in their quality time, so Armin indulges him. Armin would rather ditch his assignments and eat shitty food while driving down an empty road with Eren, anyway. Armin didn’t poke at Eren’s glum mood, deciding to play some music he knew Eren would like.

“You wanna talk about it?” Armin asks, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Eren sips the drink, rattling the ice inside. 

“Finished off the Coke,” Eren quickly brushes off Armin’s question. “Sorry.”

Armin feels a small twang of annoyance. Eren’s going on twenty-four in March and he can’t be up front with what’s wrong? They’ve known each other since elementary school and are usually pretty good about pouring their hearts out together. However, Armin knows he should hold his tongue.

Armin has sat on his feelings for Eren since highschool, unable to truly gage whether or not Eren returns the sentiment. He knows he should just tell Eren, but it has never been the right time or place. What’s he to do? Just blurt it out? They’ve made jokes about being soulmates, but jokes are just that: jokes. Besides, time only makes a confession harder, so it’s easier to have things stay as they are for now. 

Instead of pressing, Armin swallows his hypocrisy. 

“Did I tell you I got offered an internship up in Trost? If I take it, I can hopefully have a job by the time my Master’s is done,” Armin says cheerfully, changing the subject and turning the music down. 

Eren audibly hums, appreciative of the turn in conversation. “Are you going to move up there?” Eren asks after a beat, putting the cup back in the cupholder. He looks over to Armin, studying his face. 

“I think so. It’s a two hour drive, but it’s paid. It doesn’t make sense for me to stay here and burn all that gas. I _am_ still looking around for closer ones, though. I don’t want to have to sell the house.” Armin sighs, tapping on the wheel. 

“Oh, God. Yeah, that’d be rough. I don’t even know what the first step would be,” Eren replies with a grimace, pulling out his phone for a quick search. “We could always get an apartment together halfway, I just don’t want to be far from home either. Mom and Dad are getting older and Zeke isn’t around. Mikasa and Annie are gonna get married, then do who-knows-what. So... Someone’s gotta help my parents.”

“I mean...” Armin cocks his head to the side, the gears turning. He’d like to room with Eren. It wouldn’t be _terrible_. “If I do end up taking the internship, we can definitely talk more. I don’t want to leave everyone, either way.” Eren nods in agreement, pausing before he speaks. 

“I just remembered that Mikasa was talking about the wedding yesterday. I have no idea how to help her,” Eren sighs, pocketing his cellphone. He rests his head against the headrest, chewing on his bottom lip. “She asked me for advice on cake and colors, then got mad when I told her my opinion. I don’t know what I did wrong!”

Mikasa had proposed to her girlfriend, Annie Leonhart, this year. They’ve been dating for six whole years, living together for almost three. It’s going to be the big subject at Christmas dinner. Armin is excited to hear their ideas. 

“Well, what _is_ your opinion?” A smile pulls to Armin’s lips.

“I hate the ideas they come up with, then they get mad when I’m honest! I don’t want to lie to them, but it doesn’t help that our Mom is stubborn.” Eren rolls his eyes, but there's amusement to his tone. 

“I mean, they have over a year to figure everything out. Maybe she and Annie can compromise with your Mom about the aesthetic. It’s their wedding, not hers.” Armin nudges Eren with his elbow, to which Eren nudges him back. “Or yours.”

“That’s her ‘baby girl’, though. You know how my Mom is. She just wants the best for them, it’s not like Annie’s father is going to help.” Eren sighs out, waving a hand. “To Mom, the best is burgundy and rose gold.”

“Are you saying that’s a bad combo? It sounds nice to me.” Armin chuckles, giving Eren shit. Eren snorts in turn, shaking his head. 

“No! Just... Isn’t what I would do.” Eren shrugs, fiddling with a lock of hair that has escaped from the ponytail. 

Armin thinks for a moment, nodding. “What colors would you choose, then? You don’t strike me as someone who fantasizes about weddings.” Armin asks, turning the car as the road curves. 

“I think about it sometimes. Especially now that I’m single,” Eren says as he crosses his arms. There’s a fond smile on his face as he thinks back. “While Jean and I were dating, he talked about some hyper-masc, navy blue theme and would not let up about it. I like the rustic nature look, with dark greens and, like, roses. Preferably on the beach.”

“I want to get married on the beach, too,” Armin nods in agreement, blowing his bangs from his face. “I like the airy beach weddings where everything’s white and that pretty blue.”

“See? You have good taste. We’ll both get married on the beach and invite everyone to the huge beach party ceremony.” Eren mimics hitting a volleyball, making Armin laugh.

“We’re getting married at the same time? I’m confused.” Armin feels the heat on his cheeks, raising a brow as he watches the road. 

“If you want to,” Eren replies simply, folding his hands in his lap. “I mean, would the timing work out? You’re not dating anyone right now, so we’d have to get on that.” Armin tightens his grip on the steering wheel. _Get on that_? What does Eren mean? That’s flirting, right? No? 

Armin glances at Eren, smiling easily. “If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you’re planning on getting married to me,” Armin teases, but he can’t gauge Eren’s reaction. 

“I mean, if we share a space together, we might as well do our taxes together.” Eren tilts his head, sending Armin into a mini-spiral. What kind of response is that? God, Eren is just playing with his heart. Armin knows this is just a joke, but his heart still pounds in his chest. 

“Using me for taxes.” Armin sighs melodramatically, tilting his head back for just a moment. Eren does laugh at this, covering his mouth. “Fine, only if you sign a prenup.”

Eren makes a face. “What’s a prenup?” He pulls out his phone, utilizing his search engine once again. Armin doesn’t want to make fun of him, so he doesn’t. Instead, Armin focuses on the road.

“Oh! Hey, look, it’s snowing.” Armin gasps and leans forward just a bit, Eren flicks his attention back to the windshield. 

“Armin!” Eren lurches forward, grasping onto the wheel. 

Before Armin can react, Eren presses on the wheel to forcibly weave the car to the left. Just through the fog, a large animal is hunched over in a mass just over the shoulder. Armin only gets a glance at the animal before he slams on the brakes and takes the wheel back into his hands, having the sense to honk his horn. The car skids along the slick concrete, the brakes screeching until they come to a full stop. Armin shuts his eyes tightly closed, gasping as he lurches forward. 

His body slams back into the seat, Armin’s head knocking against the headrest. His hands shake against the wheel, adrenaline crawling up his spine. The engine purrs loud enough to fill the silence between heavy breaths. Armin’s attention soon slides over to Eren, taking in the look of horror on the man’s face. Armin follows his gaze to see that the animal has vanished, leaving its dinner on the shoulder. 

“Poor deer.” Armin breathes, slumping in his seat. “Are you okay?” He looks over to Eren, running a hand over his shoulder and squeezing lightly. Eren makes a strange expression, moving Armin’s hand to his bicep. 

“Uh,” Eren takes a moment to gather his wits, laughing nervously before nodding. He swallows, licking over his lips before releasing Armin’s hand. “I’m not hurt. Sorry.” Armin pulls his hand back, noting how visibly shaken Eren looks. The two sit in silence for a tick before Armin speaks.

“Warn me before you grab the wheel,” Armin frowns, steadily pressing on the gas to get them moving again. “You could have run us off the road.” He doesn’t mean to criticize Eren after such an intense moment, but his mind can’t help but wander.

“Sorry.” Eren repeats, holding onto the shoulder Armin grasped moments before. “Fuck, Armin. I’m sorry. I feel sick.” 

“Let’s head home.” Armin says over a whisper, attempting to will away the trembling in his forearms. Armin’s eyes land on the deer carcass as they pass it, his stomach churning as he views the mangled corpse. He swallows down bile, then flicks the music back on at a quiet volume to soothe himself. “What do you think that was? It looked like--”

“A bear.” Eren hastily replies, no hesitation in his tone. Armin is a bit taken aback, but cautiously nods in agreement.

“Yeah, could’ve been a bear.” Armin takes in a deep breath, watching the snow land on the glass. Armin lived much further into the suburbs than Eren growing up, it makes sense that Eren has seen bears. That bear seemed larger than the size Armin has seen in captivity. “A big, brown bear. Are bears _that_ big?” He’s talking mostly to himself, working out his thoughts audibly. Eren doesn’t reply, so Armin lets the conversation die. 

The heavy silence doesn’t help ease Armin’s anxiety, he wishes Eren would say something. Anything. Then, Eren surprises him. He puts a hand on the space between Armin’s neck and shoulder, squeezing tenderly as Armin had done for him before. Eren’s index finger gingerly brushes against the nape of Armin’s neck, barely touching the hair there. Armin tenses for just a moment before releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Eren rubs at Armin’s shoulder idly as he drives, comforting Armin without spoken word. 

Once parked at Eren’s apartment complex, Eren unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs out of the car, quietly bidding Armin farewell for the evening. Armin watches Eren travel to the stairwell, unease written all over his body. Sighing, Armin beeps his horn. Eren visibly jumps at the noise, whipping his head around with an incredulous expression on his face. Armin smiles at it, motioning for Eren to come back over.

Having to walk all the way back through the cold flurry, Eren narrows his eyes as he leans down to the driver’s side window. Armin doesn’t see any true annoyance, so he doesn’t feel too bad.

“What’s up?” Eren sounds less than pleased to be standing out in the snow. All agitation melts away when Armin offers his hand to Eren through the open window. Armin can almost see the gears turning behind those green eyes as Eren grasps onto Armin’s hand. Eren’s fingers are cold, Armin runs his thumb over Eren’s knuckles before cupping his free hand on top. 

“Eren,” Armin demands Eren’s full attention, making eye contact with him. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you can talk to me.” He runs his palm over Eren’s hand, warming him as he speaks. “I know you like to pent things up, just know I would drive through a snowstorm for you. I will never judge you, don’t forget that.” 

Eren searches Armin’s face tentatively before he smiles, Armin mirrors this as he clutches Eren’s hand. “I can’t slip anything past you.”

“You really need to work on your poker face.” Armin raises his eyebrows, Eren’s breathy laugh sends Armin’s heart soaring. 

“How about I go take a hot bath instead? I’m fucking cold.” Eren dips his head down, squeezing Armin’s hand. Finally, Armin lets go and rests his own hands in his lap. Eren places his hand on the door before slipping it back into his pocket.

“Go warm up. If I don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll see you on Christmas Eve.” Armin watches Eren stand up straight. Eren nods his head, turning on his heel before halting.

“You are off work, right?” Eren leans back down, Armin nods at him. 

“Yeah,” Armin thinks back to his schedule at the bookstore. “I work tomorrow, but I’m off Christmas Eve and Christmas, so we’ll have to go ice skating at some point.” Eren’s face lights up at the news, bouncing up with his hands balled up in fists. 

“It’s a date, then.” Eren blows warm air onto his palms, rubbing them together. He begins to walk back towards the complex, turning his back to Armin. Armin’s chest tightens, the statement astonishing him before he can call out a reply. 

“Only if you bring me flowers.” Armin shouts from the window, a smile plastered to his face as he puts the car into reverse. He watches Eren climb up the stairs, waving back when Eren waves to him. Pulling out of the parking lot, Armin can’t help but mull over Eren’s words. 

A _date_.

Just the thought alone makes his anxiety skyrocket in an almost pleasant way. He and Eren always joke like this, yet it never fails to make Armin a flustered mess. Typically, he is reasonably under control of his emotions. Something about moments like these, having Eren look him directly in the eye and state that they are going on a date has Armin’s mind reeling. What if Eren means it?

Armin exhales, brushing his hair back. After today, Armin is looking forward to Christmas more than ever. Two days off work and school doesn’t pick back up until the middle of January, it’ll be well deserved rest. Ever since Grandpa died, Armin’s life has unraveled. Lately, all he knows is work, labs, and his thesis. Balancing school, work, and social relationships is a lot harder than he thought it would be. Armin is at least thankful that the house Grandpa left to him is paid off, it crosses at least one bill off the list. 

Easing his stress may be achievable if he had a roommate, the idea of living with Eren seems like a win-win situation. Armin is familiar with Eren’s work ethic and cleanliness, it wouldn’t be another burden to shoulder. Eren is capable and eager to help whenever possible, he makes that clear by helping his parents whenever they need it. The Yeagers have shown nothing but unconditional love towards Armin since the beginning of he and Eren’s friendship, it makes sense that Eren is just as mindful. 

After Grandpa’s passing, the Yeagers have invited Armin into their home for the holidays. For the past couple Christmases, Armin has stayed over at the Yeager family home and fits right into the household dynamic. He, Eren, and Mikasa made a tradition of baking sweets on Christmas Eve. Now that Annie has joined in, it is a much faster process. This year, they’re going to make cookies from scratch. 

Armin decides to take a shower before settling in bed, disregarding his thesis for the night. The evening has sucked all the energy out of him, yet Armin’s thoughts wander back to being in the car. He can see the animal in his mind’s eye, the mass of brown fur hunched over on the road’s shoulder. He can also see Eren’s eyes filled with dread, jaw slack with shock. Armin didn’t realize how petrified Eren was until now. Sure, Armin was freaked out, but he can’t empathize with the genuine terror written on his best friend’s face. 

Rolling over in bed, Armin pulls out his phone. The screen illuminates his face as Armin sends out a quick text to Eren wishing him goodnight. After watching the screen for a few moments, Armin plugs in the phone’s charger and sets it aside. He lays on his back, pacing his breathing until he can find sleep.

The next morning, Armin makes himself an egg sandwich as he gets ready for work. He’s working a ten hour shift, starting in less than an hour. His phone buzzes on the kitchen counter as he bites into his sandwich. Swiftly picking it up, Armin reads the notification. Oh, he missed one earlier, it seems. 

7:06 AM - Jean: dude, did you see the news about the bear attack?

6:45 AM - Mikasa ♥: Mornin. Want to get lunch on your break?


	2. But See How Deep The Bullet Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is chapter 2!!
> 
> thank you to everyone for showing your support, i'm so happy you are enjoying it so far!   
> a side-chara heavy chapter, but i loved writing it! expect more of these charas soon :3c
> 
> you can find me on goldenmelancholy on tumblr, chapter 3 should be out in a few days!

Armin’s chewing pauses as he reads over the texts, his eyebrows stitching together in concern. Someone got attacked by a bear? Armin’s sock covered feet shuffle over to the living room, he snatches up the remote to turn the television on. The news station flicks to life thanks to satellite, the wide screen showing a news anchor sitting up straight next to a stock photo of a bear plastered just to the left of her head. 

“...Last night in the city of Shiganshina, a rabid bear chased resident Petra Ral into the safety of her car when she returned home from work at 10PM,” The anchor starts, her pose straight as a photo of a car appears on screen. 

“Holy shit,” Armin curses, his blood running cold as he looks over the photo of the SUV. Deep claw marks streak down the driver’s side door, as if the bear had been trying to tear through it. Armin can only imagine how terrified that girl must have been; the thought that it could have been him and Eren sends a chill down his spine. As Armin’s swirling thoughts overwhelm him, he sees the girl in question appear on screen. She has pale orange hair, her eyes wide with apprehension. Behind her is the woods; Armin assumes this was pre-recorded. 

“I was just getting out of my car when I heard this terrible whining,” Petra Ral starts, her name appearing in a title on the right side of the screen. “Before I knew it, this giant thing was bounding towards me. All I could think to do is get back in my car.” She takes a deep breath, unease written across her face. “It slammed against my car, scratching it like crazy. I just started screaming and honked my horn, it ran off real fast after that.”

Armin sits down on the couch, his mind reeling. Someone else saw that thing. Armin looks down at his phone, typing out a reply to Jean. 

7:11 AM - Me: I just saw it on the news, Eren and I almost hit it on the way home last night. It’s scary to think that could have been us. 

Standing back up, Armin exhales and collects himself. He gives the television one last uneasy look, the anchor states that the bear’s location is unknown and residents should take caution by bringing all perishables inside to prevent luring the bear to any homes. 

7:12 AM - Jean: holy fuck?? he didn’t tell me that you guys ran into a crazy bear

Armin frowns, looking down at his phone as he travels back to the kitchen to clean his breakfast up.

7:12 AM - Me: Did you talk to him?

7:13 AM - Jean: yeah, we were on the phone until late last night. he seemed down so we gamed for a while

Armin sets his phone down. Eren ignored him to play videogames with Jean. It’s stupid to be upset over, yet a pit settles in his stomach. Eren wanted to go home so suddenly--he said he was sick. Armin shouldn’t be mad. No, he isn’t mad. Just perplexed. Why won’t Eren talk to him?

7:15 AM - Me: I have to head to work so if he talks to you, tell him to make sure he texts me.

7:15 AM - Jean: you got it, boss ;)

Armin pads back to his bedroom, pulling on his shoes and brushing his hair. Eren is sleeping right now, so there’s no point in texting him. Instead, Armin messages Mikasa back. 

7:18 AM - Me: My lunch is 11:00-12:00, will you be available?

7:23 AM - Mikasa ♥: Sounds like a plan! My treat. I’ll meet you at the store

This cheers Armin up as he ties his hair into a ponytail, looking at himself in the mirror. In his vintage sweater, corduroy pants, and thrifted brown boots, Armin feels better. Armin grabs his coat, bag, and cellphone, then locks up the house before heading out to his car. Work isn’t all that far from home, so Armin gets there with fifteen minutes to spare even with a layer of snow on the ground.

His job at the bookstore is fairly easy: he is routinely stocking shelves, keeping track of inventory, and ringing out customers on the register. The building itself is smashed between two other businesses--a sub shop and an antique resale boutique. Armin enjoys his job quite a bit and there’s plenty of downtime to work on assignments in the evening. The owners were friends with Armin’s grandpa, and they continue to encourage Armin to work there as long as he can. 

Now that he’s in the beginning stages of his Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Armin can’t help but feel frustrated by the fact he can’t find a job near him. On top of trying to find a place that will be ethical and pay well, distance poses a difficult obstacle. He can’t work at this little bookstore forever, even if it feels like home. Eventually, his student loans will catch up to him. 

Armin snaps from his intense focus while stocking shelves, hearing the door ring as it is opened. He peeks his head out from around a shelf, beaming at the customer. 

“Hi! How can I help you?” Armin takes in the sight of the customer. He’s of average height and thin build, looking about Armin’s age. His hair is buzzed short and eyes a warm grey. The stranger smiles back at Armin, raising a hand. 

“Hey, I’m actually looking for something kind of weird.” The customer puts his hands in his pockets, his shoulders relaxing. 

“I can handle weird.” Armin slides the book he is holding into place on the shelf, patting his thighs down before standing in full view of the customer. “What are you looking for?”

“So,” The customer looks up as he thinks, tilting his head. “I need some books about werewolves for a project I’m doing.”

“Werewolves,” Armin repeats, rubbing over his chin with his index finger. “We have a few books about werewolves, but I’m sure the library has more.” Armin turns on his heel, pacing down the rows of shelves. 

“The library had some stuff, but it was nothing I really wanted.” The customer follows Armin at a steady pace, taking in the sight of the store. He seems to note the spiral staircase leading up to the loft reading area, smiling a bit. “This place is cool. I’ve never been in here.”

“Isn’t it cute?” Armin pulls a book from the shelf, holding it in his free hand. “The loft has free coffee, if you’re interested.”

“Nah,” The customer says, he waves his hand dismissively. “My girl’s waiting for me. I appreciate it, though.” He grins at Armin, getting a good look at him. “Say, aren’t you Jean Kirstein’s friend?” 

Armin turns his attention to the customer at the mention of Jean’s name. “Yes, we went to highschool together. I’m Eren Yeager’s...” Armin thinks of the ‘date’ he will be going on, a flush peppering his cheeks. “Best friend.”

“Oh!” The customer smacks his fist on his palm, looking enthused. “That’s right, I’ve seen you at his house parties way back then. I’m Connie Springer, Jean’s a good friend of mine.” 

“Nice to meet you, Connie. I’m Armin Arlert. I apologize for not recognizing you. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a house party.” Armin laughs jovally, picking out another book. 

“D’aw, don’t worry about it.” Connie blows a raspberry, waving at Armin. “Jean’s parties sucked.”

“They did. I despised going to them. If I wanted guardian supervision, I’d go to Eren’s place.” Armin remembers the memory fondly, offering the two books to Connie. “Though, I liked Jean’s parties more than Reiner’s. Those were…” Armin trails off, not having a kind word to say about them. Reiner Braun, the quarterback back in highschool, hosted plenty of ludicrous parties that led to some interesting memories. (Or lack thereof.)

“Fucking bonkers, yeah.” Connie holds onto the books, laughing easily as he reads the titles. “So, what are these?”

“One is a copy of Clemence Housman’s _The Were-Wolf_ , it’s about a werewolf lady wreaking havoc on men.” Armin points to one book, then points to the next. “This one is _Wolves and the Wilderness in the Middle Ages_ by Aleksander Pluskowski. It’s more of a study about the impact of wolves in the middle ages, but werewolves are a big thing in it.”

Connie looks over the two books, his eyes focused and apprehensive. “They’re both only ten bucks?”

“Yes, ten bucks each. Will this help for your project?” Armin travels over to the register, standing behind it with a smile.

“What?” Connie lifts his gaze, then nods his head. “Yeah! It will, definitely.” He places the books on the counter, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. Armin rings up the books and begins to wrap them in recycled paper, but Connie stops him. “Aw, we don’t need that!” He smiles at Armin, flicking his wrist.

“Are you sure?” Armin frowns, putting the paper aside with slow movements. Connie nods, to which Armin puts the books in a paper bag instead. “Alright, no worries.” Armin finishes the transaction, watching Connie pay before handing off the bag to him. “Stay warm and happy holidays.” 

“Merry Christmas to you, too!” Connie snatches up the bag, scurrying to the exit with a wide smile before bursting through the front door. “Stay safe!”

Armin blinks, resting his hands on the counter. _Stay safe_. He mulls over this, rounding the corner and continues fixing up the shelves. It isn’t long before eleven rolls around and Armin is quickly relieved by a coworker. Gathering his bag and clocking out for his lunch break, Armin slips out the front door. He pulls his phone from his pocket, checking his messages. 

10:55 AM - Mikasa ♥: I’m at the sandwich place next door!

Armin smiles brightly, pivoting to walk over to the sub shop’s door. He tugs open the door, a bell chiming in the air. He sees Mikasa sitting at a round table, her attention on her cellphone. Her dark hair seems to be freshly cut, buzzed on the sides. 

“Hey, wifey.” Armin rests his bag on the table, smiling brightly down at Mikasa. She lifts her head at the noise, her smile warm as the sun. 

“Hi, Armin.” Mikasa stands up, bringing Armin into a close hug. He hugs her back tightly, leaning back to get a good look at her. 

“You got a haircut. Looks great.” Armin steps back and digs into his bag, retrieving his wallet. He motions for Mikasa to follow him up to the front. 

“Thank you, I just got it done.” Mikasa leans forward, her arms behind her back. “I figured lunch with my favorite boy would be nice since I’m off today.” Mikasa looks up at the menu, looking on the fence. 

“What did Eren do?” Armin laughs lightly, his eyes scanning across the menu. Mikasa rolls her eyes, slouching her shoulders to mimic her brother. 

“He said, ‘I don’t know why you would want to get married in a vineyard,’” Mikasa huffs in a deep, gruff tone, a faux grimace on her face. “‘I really think you should go with the beach plan.’ Like, cool, Eren. Thank you for not shoving your opinions down my throat like Mom does.” Mikasa gives Armin an amused half-smile, shrugging her shoulders. 

“See, I was told you got angry at him for his opinions,” Armin snickers as he puts his hands up defensively. “I don’t think a vineyard is a bad idea.”

“Lots of space and we don’t have to drive ten thousand miles away.” Mikasa’s eyes scan the menu. “I’m ready.”

“Me too.” Armin steps up to the counter so he can order, getting an italian sub with pickles and spicy ranch. Mikasa orders a chipotle chicken sub with guacamole. After ordering, Armin bumps Mikasa with his hip to pay with his debit card. Mikasa gives him a pointed glare, but travels to the soda fountain to get their drinks. Once payment goes through, Armin takes the receipt and thanks the cashier, shuffling back to the table to sit down. 

“You’re an asshole.” Mikasa sets Armin’s drink down in front of him, handing him the straw. Armin looks mighty proud of himself, popping the straw into the cup with a defiant smile. 

“What was that?” Armin cups a hand to his ear, looking around idly. “Do I hear someone complaining?”

“No.” Mikasa grins and kicks Armin gingerly under the table.

“Thought so,” Armin hums as he leans back in the metal chair, watching Mikasa closely. “How’s Annie?”

“Fine. She’s really excited to make pies tomorrow.” Mikasa moves her straw up and down in her cup, making a terrible squeaking sound. 

“Fuck, I didn’t grab any whipped cream.” Armin blinks widely, the thought returning to him. “I was supposed to grab some after Eren and I hung out, but the bear completely threw that plan in the trash.” His mind wanders back to the dark road, his head resting on his chin. He remembers Eren’s face, looking towards him with absolute horror. 

“The bear?” Eren asks with a look of concern, a jolt sending Armin back to reality. Mikasa stares back at him with a serious expression.

“Huh?” Armin asks in an alarmed tone, gaze bouncing around until it lands back on the woman in front of him. 

“A bear?” Mikasa repeats, Eren’s face no longer replacing her own. She looks agitated unlike Eren’s despaired expression. 

“We were driving around after eating last night and almost hit the rabid bear that was on the news today.” Armin shifts his weight, clearing his throat. “It was scary, but honking at it seemed to scare it off.” Mikasa stares at Armin before she pulls out her phone. “What?”

“Eren said it was a bear?” Mikasa asks in a slightly higher tone, typing on her phone. Armin directs his attention to her immediately.

“Yes?” Armin replies, masking his hesitancy the best he can. 

Mikasa sighs, momentarily lost in thought. She stands up, holding her phone. “I’m glad you both are safe. Hopefully the bear gets run back into the forest.” Mikasa looks to the counter. “Our food’s done, I’ll grab it.” Armin watches her approach the counter to collect their food before dipping his gaze back down to the table. This entire conversation rubs Armin the wrong way.

Mikasa returns with their food, setting Armin’s sub in front of him with a dainty smile. “Voilà.” She plops into her seat, taking her own sandwich into her hands. Mikasa takes a hearty bite, letting out a pleased hum as she chews. She looks up to Armin, a spark in her eyes as she gives him a closed mouth smile. Armin is glad she has lightened up a bit, her intensity frightened him.

“God, this looks good.” Armin takes a bite of his sub, allowing the conversation to ebb between the two. Armin and Mikasa are best friends--he can handle a comfortable silence between them. Mikasa has been Armin’s rock, and Armin hers. She calls Armin on occasion just to talk or vent while she is working out or driving home from her job. Right now, she’s doing an apprenticeship for her Mortuary Science degree. Mikasa never complains about the job, just about her obnoxious coworkers. Not that Armin minds it, it lets him criticize his coworkers and lament about his thesis. 

Mikasa soon brings up lighter talk of her week with Annie, discussing bits and pieces of what they want to do for the wedding. Armin listens intently, chiming in as he eats. Eating with Mikasa is refreshing. By the time they are done eating, Armin checks the time on his phone and stands.

“It’s about that time.” Armin tosses his cup and basket into the recycling bin, turning to Mikasa as he opens the door for her. She’s swift to toss her things into the recycling as well, following Armin outside. The temperature seems to have dropped; Mikasa breathes out sharply as she rubs her arms. 

“You going to be okay?” Armin asks, adjusting his coat. 

“Yeah, I hate the winter.” Mikasa sighs, holding out her arms for a hug.

“Stay warm, okay? Text me when you get home.” Armin gives Mikasa a final hug goodbye before peeling away, stepping back towards the bookstore. 

“Sure,” Mikasa smiles and shoves her hands in her pockets. “Stay safe.” She waves to Armin before jogging away, puffs of air trailing behind her thanks to the cold. 

_Stay safe._ There it is again.

Armin slips into the bookstore, considering Mikasa’s words. A rabid bear is running around, of course he will be safe. As he clocks back in for the remainder of his shift, his thoughts wander back to the conversation with Mikasa. Why did she react almost the same way Eren did? Armin sets his bag down, travelling back out into the lobby to relieve his coworker. 

Hours fly by, and Armin gets lost organizing the new _Murder Mystery_ section--he can’t help but read each book’s summary. It is monotonous, yet scratches an itch in Armin’s brain. He barely notices the bell ring when the front door is opened, he calls out a small greeting. 

“Hi, welcome to--” Armin looks up, from where he is sitting on the ground. He immediately smiles. “Eren!”

“‘Sup?” Eren grins down at Armin, squatting to get a better look of the shelf Armin is lining books on. 

“Working.” Armin bumps the book on Eren’s knee. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to bother you. I brought you coffee.” Eren motions over his shoulder to the front counter, a coffee cup sitting on top. 

“Aw, Eren,” Armin moves to stand up, stretching his arms above his head. He realizes a sliver of stomach is exposed right at Eren’s eye level, so he makes quick work of smoothing down his shirt. “We have coffee in the loft, but thank you.” He gives Eren a lopsided smile. Eren’s eyes lift from Armin’s shirt to his face, standing with a yawn. Armin takes note of the dark rings under his eyes; Eren _did_ stay up last night. Eren is also sporting a red face that he covers with his hand as he yawns.

“They don’t have your special pumpkin-whatever.” Eren unzips his coat, looking over towards the coffee

“You’re just a sweetheart.” Armin hurries to the coffee and picks it up, soaking in the warmth. “Thank you,” he repeats, taking off the lid to blow on it only to see there’s foam on top. Armin takes a sip, sighing out with a smile before looking to Eren. He figured Eren would be distracted and be fiddling around, yet he meets eyes with Eren instead. Eren’s expression is soft, his gaze lowering slightly before moving back to meet Armin’s own.

“You like it?” Eren raises a brow with a grin, which immediately makes Armin wary of what he is drinking. He peers into the cup, then at Eren. 

“What did you do to it?” Armin asks tentatively, not wanting to know the answer. 

“Nothing,” Eren laughs, raising a hand. “You just look so happy. It’s really cute.” Armin immediately flushes, lifting the coffee to his lips to hide it. 

“I’m cold,” Armin huffs, peering at Eren over the rim of the coffee cup. Eren does end up getting distracted and, as Armin predicted, he starts to walk around the store and scan the shelves. “Plus, it tastes good.”

“I’m glad,” Eren turns his head to beam at Armin over his shoulder. “Hey, do you want to go get dinner and we can hang out at my place?” 

Armin lifts his head from the cup, while Eren only looks more amused. “Sure, I’m out of here in an hour.” Armin nods, setting the cup down. Eren delights, fist pumping slightly. 

“Sweet,” Eren nears the door, walking backwards. “I’ll go clean up, you meet me at my place when you get off work. Think about what you want to eat!” Eren leaves the store before popping his head back in. “By the way, you have a little…” Eren motions to his top lip, leading Armin to touch at his own. Fuck, there’s foam on his mouth!

“Shit.” Armin turns to find a napkin, hearing Eren’s laugh as he closes the door behind him. So _that’s_ why Eren was staring at him all funny.


	3. Unaware I'm Tearing You Asunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is! this chapter was a huge challenge to write but i am soo happy with how it came out. BIG thanks to my best friend for beta'ing, i couldn't have done this without here! enjoy!!

Eren’s apartment isn’t too far from the bookstore, it only takes about ten minutes to drive over. Snow is sticking to the grass, the air whips around flurries on the blacktop. Armin locks his car and heads up the staircase, climbing the stairs until he reaches the third floor. Winded, Armin knocks on Eren’s door. He can hear shuffling from inside, greeted by Eren when the door opens. Eren’s hair is down and cascades onto an old band tee, he’s wearing plaid pajama pants. 

“Hey!” Eren steps back to open the door fully, motioning for Armin to enter. Armin walks inside, slipping off his shoes at the door and removing his coat. 

Armin rubs at his arms, smiling at Eren before walking towards Eren’s couch. “It’s cold as fuck,” Armin plops down onto the couch, laying a nearby fleece throw blanket over his lap. On the ottoman in front of him, there is a pile of laundry in a basket. “Are you putting me to work?” Armin teases, turning his attention to Eren. Eren pales, hurrying over to retrieve the basket. 

“I was doing laundry,” Eren explains, a nervous laugh leaving him. “I got distracted.” Eren exits the front room. Armin looks around the apartment while Eren is gone, taking in the sight. The place is decidedly more disorganized than the last time Armin was here just a week prior. Eren’s kitchenette has dishes piled in the sink, the table across from the kitchenette has miscellaneous items spread across the surface. He can spot Eren’s keys resting beside the jacket Eren was wearing an hour ago. It appears more like Eren has just been busy rather than neglecting his space.

“I’d make a pretty good maid, y’know.” Armin jabs, looking at the TV. It seems Eren was in the middle of a game on his Nintendo Switch, the pause menu greys out the scene. Eren travels to the couch, then sitting on Armin’s left. 

Eren grabs the TV remote, his eyes dancing across the screen. “Nah, I’d be the maid between us. You’re the smart, rich guy that hires me.” 

“Lemme guess, you get stuck in the washing machine?” Armin barely gets through his sentence, making himself laugh. Eren bursts out laughing in turn and covers his mouth. “Sorry! I had to.”

“Yes!” Eren can’t even finish before he cuts himself off with barking laughter, pushing at Armin’s shoulder. “The title is _Blonde Twink Pegs_ \--”

Armin drops his head in his hands. “Jesus Christ,” Armin shakes his head, laughing into his palms. “Okay, turn on the movie, I’m ordering food.” He pulls out his phone, the screen illuminating the pink flush on his cheeks. The mental image of Eren in a maid costume has Armin steaming, he has to distract himself with the food delivery app.

Eren turns off the game he was playing previously, using the TV remote to flip through Netflix to find a movie. He lands on the Horror section, then peeks at Armin’s phone screen. “What are we thinking for food?” Eren leans in to look over Armin’s shoulder. 

“Honestly,” Armin leans into Eren’s chest to show him the screen. “I’m thinking Chipotle, I want a burrito.” Eren squints, looking over the menu on the app. He doesn’t shy away from Armin when he leans in, instead resting his chin on Armin’s shoulder instead. Armin peers at him from the corner of his eye. 

“Sounds cool,” Eren sits back up and kicks his feet up onto the ottoman, his attention returning to the TV. “I’ll just have my usual.” He motions to the screen then throws his arm onto the cushion behind Armin’s shoulders. “We’ll watch this.” Armin nods, tapping the ‘reorder’ button from the last time they got Chipotle. Maybe they should cool it on the burritos. _The Taking of Deborah Logan_ begins to play on screen. 

After putting in the order, Armin turns his head to look at Eren, putting his phone aside. “Should be here in about forty minutes.” Armin leans back against the couch, comforted by Eren’s arm behind him. 

“Sweet,” Eren looks back at Armin, giving him an easy smile. “We’ll be able to knock a chunk of this movie out.” Armin studies Eren’s face, tilting his head. Eren has shaved and showered since Armin last saw him over an hour ago. The bags under his eyes are starkly contrasted by the light of interest in his expression. Eren squeezes Armin’s shoulder with the arm thrown around him. “What?”

“You shaved for me.” Armin adjusts himself to relax into Eren, throwing part of the blanket over his lap.

“I wanted to freshen up, so what?” Eren watches the screen, looking intensely focused on the movie. He sounds so defensive, Armin smiles to himself. “Would you rather I smell bad?”

“No, it’s just funny.” Armin watches the movie as he lounges with Eren, taking in the characters talking on screen. Eren is warm and keeps his hand on Armin’s shoulder. Eren kneads the fabric of the sweater Armin is wearing between his index finger and thumb. Armin finds himself focusing on Eren fiddling with his sweater more than he does the movie.

Armin tucks his legs up, resting them against Eren’s thigh. Eren grumbles sporadically about the characters, Armin can’t help but agree with him. These characters aren’t his favorite, but he enjoys what they are watching. After a quarter of the movie plays, Eren gasps at a jumpscare that flashes on screen with a loud crescendo. He knocks at Armin’s head, directly leading to Armin jumping as well with a shriek. 

Eren laughs, petting over Armin’s long hair. “I’m sorry! That chick is fucking scary.” Eren looks to the screen, continuing to pet Armin’s hair. Armin melts into the seat, clutching at his chest to catch his breath.

“I’d be long gone, you couldn’t pay me to stay.” Armin swallows, intensely focusing on where Eren’s hand is. Great, now Eren is playing with his hair. He feels Eren twirl a lock around his finger, a wave of heat overwhelming him. Armin lets out a long breath to calm himself, leaning his weight against Eren. He can feel Eren’s chest rise and fall, he peeks at Eren’s exposed collarbones. Armin’s gaze travels up Eren’s neck and rests on his face. Eren is smiling a little, the reflection of the TV shifting on his eyes. Armin studies Eren’s face until he glances over. Armin’s heartbeat increases, the heat travels up to his cheeks. 

Eren adjusts slightly to look at Armin, cocking his head. “Can I help you?” His hand halts in Armin’s hair. God, Eren’s voice is deep. Armin opens his mouth, his fingers tracing over Eren’s collarbone. He’s going to try to be forward.

“When are we going to go on our date?” Armin glances around Eren’s face, Eren’s lips part slightly. He looks down at Armin, taking a beat to breathe and collect himself. He’s receptive to Armin’s touches, hopefully Eren isn’t uncomfortable. 

“Um,” Eren clears his throat, worrying his lip through his teeth. His face is red as he stares at the TV ahead. “I don’t think ice skating is a good idea while that bear is running around.” Armin blinks, shifting his body towards Eren to lay on his side.

“You think a bear will attack us in town?” Armin stitches his brows together.

Eren shakes his head, pulling his arm back. “We don’t know what that thing is capable of, it still hasn’t been found.” He glances over at Armin, his fingers combing through the long blonde hair.. “The rinks are outside, I’m not risking that until the bear is apprehended.” Armin’s face falls, his shoulders slacking. 

Armin pulls back from Eren’s body to sit up completely, pulling his knees up to his chest. “You’re right. It’s dangerous for us to go out.” Eren watches Armin with a defeated frown, but nudges Armin with his elbow. 

“We’re still together now, I can take you ice skating any time.” Eren tugs lightly at a lock of Armin’s hair, giving him a small smile. “Besides, isn’t this a date?” Armin immediately turns his head to look at Eren, unable to hide his shock before swallowing it to remain composed.

“I… you’re right.” Armin bites at his bottom lip, he can feel the excitement begin to flood through his system. This is a date. They’re getting food and watching a movie as a date. He feels Eren take in a deep breath as his hand pets through Armin’s hair. Fuck. Is this a _date_ date?

It isn’t long before there is a knock on Eren’s door and Armin hastily pauses the movie. Eren hops up and fetches their food from the delivery driver, closing the door behind him. Eren looks overjoyed to finally have the food and does a little dance as he brings it over. He takes out their burritos then lays them onto the ottoman, crumpling the bag and setting it aside on the ground.

Armin coos as he takes his burrito into his hands, unwrapping it to take a big bite. He relaxes back into the couch, letting Eren adjust before starting the movie back up. They both eat in peace as the movie plays in front of them. Eren absolutely destroys his burrito before Armin is even halfway done with his own. Taking frantic bites and swallowing after barely chewing. It’s like Eren has been starved. Armin watches in surprise as Eren crumples up the foil, tossing it into the discarded paper bag. Eren brings the blanket up to tuck himself in with a sated smile. 

Leaning back into Eren, Armin takes a few bites of his own burrito as he watches the screen. The two tangle legs and stay close for the remainder of the movie. Armin focuses on Eren’s breathing to soothe himself when scenes get tense, feeling emboldened by Eren’s presence. It doesn’t stop Eren from yelping at jumpscares and making rude comments towards characters. 

Eventually, Eren’s comments cease and he rests his head back against the couch cushion. Armin finishes his burrito and rests against Eren, only jumping when a loud scare occurs. It takes him a while to notice Eren is asleep. He only noticed because the movie took a strange turn and Eren didn’t make a joke about it. Armin dares not wake him, he knows Eren is exhausted. 

Once the movie ends, Armin picks up the remote and flicks on another movie. He doesn’t mind letting Eren rest for a little bit, he can use Eren’s streaming services to his advantage. He watches about thirty minutes of an animated film before he is interrupted by a knock on Eren’s door. Armin lifts his gaze and slowly begins to untangle himself from Eren. He takes a moment to help ease him down into a lying position. He tucks Eren in, slipping away to open the door. 

“Hello?” Armin peeks out of the crack, blinking when he sees the figure in front of him.

“Armin?” Jean blinks back at him, looking just as surprised. Jean lowers his raised fist when he sees Armin, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. “What are you doing here?” Jean looks Armin up and down with a confused look. Armin is just as puzzled, why is Eren’s ex here?

“Hanging out with Eren, we were watching a movie.” Armin opens the door a little, resting against the doorframe. “He is sleeping, what’s up?” Armin smiles at Jean, looking him over.

Jean rubs at the back of his neck, letting out a long sigh. “He wasn’t answering his phone.”

“Did you guys have plans?” Armin looks over his shoulder to check on Eren, frowning. Would Eren make plans if he knew Armin was coming over?

Jean hesitates, trying to get a look inside. “Did… Eren tell you?”

_What?_

Armin feels his heart jump up to his throat. Don’t jump to conclusions. “I have no idea what you are talking about, so… No?”

“Uh,” Jean sucks in a breath. “I don’t think… It’s my place to say.” Armin stares at Jean, then turns around to stare at Eren. Time to make assumptions.

“You’re here to fuck.” Armin looks back at Jean, pushing the door open completely with his fingers. Armin steps aside to begin pulling on his shoes, letting the cold air flood in. Jean stammers, taking a step inside. 

“It’s not like that--” Jean starts, but Armin cuts him off. 

“I was just leaving, have at it. I’m sorry to interrupt,” Armin shrugs his shoulders, putting his other shoe on with a loud stomp. Eren begins to stir, sitting up from the blanket pile. “Didn’t know my date was double-booked.”

“Huh?” Eren blinks blearily, seeing the two standing in front of the door. “Jean? Armin?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Armin frantically searches for his coat, taking deep breaths to maintain his composure before grasping his coat and yanking it on in the same movement. Was Eren really doing this? They had a date today, even if it wasn’t romantic, Eren really planned to fuck Jean as soon as Armin left.

“Woah, hang on.” Eren sits up completely, throwing the blanket off of himself. “Jean, why are you here?” Jean turns to look at Eren, pointing at him. 

“You weren’t answering your phone!” Jean growls, immediately defensive. “I thought you were out _mauling_ someone, Eren.” Armin raises his head and halts at the mention of mauling.

“I lost my fucking phone! Remember?” Eren groans and rubs at his eyes. “See? I’m fine, I was just hanging out with Armin.”

“I’m not sorry for being concerned,” Jean pinches the bridge of his nose. “This is a fucking stupid idea and you know it, Eren.”

“What do you mean?” Eren’s shoulders slack. Armin is still halfway out the door with his coat hanging off his shoulder, his chest heaving as he looks between the two men. 

“You haven’t told Armin and you invite him over?” Jean puts his hands on his hips, tapping his foot. “That’s fucked, Eren. We don’t know what you’re capable of right now.” Eren rises from the couch, balling his fists.

Armin wants to bolt and run away from this situation as fast as he can. Yet, he steps further inside the apartment, putting his hand on Jean’s shoulder to give himself room to close the door. Jean allows Armin to lean on him, shuffling aside while remaining mindful to not get his wet boots on Eren’s carpet. “Are you going to explain what’s going on?” Armin slides his hand off of Jean. He stares directly at Eren, crossing his arms over his chest. Eren immediately flounders, rubbing over his left shoulder. 

“I…” Eren starts, swallowing thickly. Like a reprimanded child, he can’t look at either of the two men. Jean sighs, leaning back onto the front door. Eren clears his throat, squeezing his arms. “Armin, I need to tell you something.”

Armin pulls out a chair from the table, sitting on it with a sigh. “What?” Eren’s eyes dart around before he pulls up his sleeve to show four long scars across his shoulder. Armin blinks, leaning forward. Eren steps closer, pulling out a chair to sit himself in. Armin reaches forward to touch over the raised scars, his eyes riddled with concern. These are newly healed.

“I… was attacked in the forest two days ago.” Eren looks up to Armin, rolling his sleeve back down. “It was that bear we saw, Armin. It attacked me two days ago. I was gathering some things in the woods pretty far from home and this… animal spotted me.” Eren pauses, taking a deep breath. “It approached me and I freaked out. I threw a rock at it to try and scare it away, I hit it in the face and managed to get it right in the eye. The thing went berserk, Armin. It charged at me and tackled me over, I managed to grab my hunting knife. I did my best to stab it, everything happened so fast. It got me in the shoulder and I got it in the arm, blood just went _everywhere_.” Eren’s eyes are distant, his breathing becoming erratic. 

“How did you get away?” Armin seizes the moment to comfort Eren, leaning in to grasp his hand. 

“It grabbed onto my bag with its teeth and tossed me. I rolled down this hill and by the time I stopped, I think it ran away.” Eren looks up at Armin, squeezing his hand. “It wasn’t a bear, Armin. It was a wolf, just like the movies.”

“A werewolf?” Armin turns his head to look at Jean for affirmation before returning his attention to Eren. Eren nods his head, running his fingers over Armin’s knuckles. 

“I thought it was a bear until yesterday.” Eren lets a nervous laugh leave him. “I’ve seen bears before, that wasn’t one of them. It stood on two legs the entire time, it had that long snout like a dog. It’s limbs were, like… humanoid.” He is struggling to describe it, Armin can see the frustration written across his face. “Once we saw it on the road, I knew I wasn’t remembering things wrong.”

“You were attacked by a lycanthrope.” Armin states, doing his best not to sound like he doesn’t believe Eren. Eren wouldn’t lie to him about this, not with such an intense look in his eyes. Armin sits back and slides his hand from Eren’s to rub at his face. 

Jean speaks up suddenly, leaning forward from his position against the door. “The night you guys almost hit that thing, Eren asked me to come over to…” Jean’s voice trails off. Armin’s heart plummets straight to his stomach but he maintains his composure. “We didn’t have any condoms.” Jean states matter-of-factly, obviously trying not to linger on the subject. “We ran to the corner store when I started asking Eren difficult questions… about you.”

“Jean.” Eren lifts his head. Jean sighs, shaking his head. 

Jean continues to speak, ignoring Eren. “Armin, I asked him questions he didn’t like and he got angry. We were still in the car when he started to change.” Jean begins to talk with his hands, his entire face furrowed. “His eyes changed to this golden color and he started shaking like crazy, at first I thought it was some sort of seizure.” Armin shudders, the mental image of Eren seizing terrifies him. He can’t help but be wrapped up in Jean’s story. “Then his ears started getting pointy and I knew that wasn’t it. With any luck, Eren pulled to the side of Bellflower Road before curling in on himself and making this terrible sound.” Jean places his hands over his ears, his eyes glancing around at nothing. “He got out of the car and I climbed out to go comfort him but by the time I ran to the driver’s side…” Armin didn’t need to be told what was coming, but Jean’s tormented eyes stopped him from interrupting. “He was a monster.” Jean locks eyes with Armin, letting out a tired chuckle. “A big… ugly mutt.” Jean lowers his hands, letting them fall to his sides. Even for Jean, a skilled hunter that brags about how he acquires his own dinner, it must have been haunting to see the grotesque sight of someone he loves transforming into a beast he’d only ever seen in films.

Eren lifts his gaze, touching at Armin’s hand. Armin looks over at Eren with his mouth agape, searching Eren’s face for any semblance of a lie. Is this a joke?

“I didn’t know what was happening, Armin. I was so scared.” Eren is quivering, clinging to Armin’s hand. “I started changing and I couldn’t think, I was just… I was gone.” He grits his teeth, dropping his head. “I don’t remember anything.”

“I yelled when I saw him. I guess that scared him, because he ran off faster than a turkey in the fall.” Jean smoothes back his hair to collect himself, though Armin could still see the unease reflected in his eyes. “I immediately hopped in the truck and tried to find him on the roads, but I couldn’t find hide nor hair of him all night. It wasn’t till the next morning after I texted you that I fully made the connection that it was Eren who had attacked that lady on TV.”

“How do you know it wasn’t the other one?” Armin glances between the two. “The other wolf was eating that deer on the side of the road, it could have attacked that woman if it was already exposing itself to the public.” 

“I hope it was.” Eren whispers from his hands, shaking his head.

“I eventually found him on the road heading to your house, buck naked.” Jean sighs, running a hand through his hair. “He’s lucky it was so late, he could have been arrested for public nudity.” Eren sighs, rubbing at his temples.

“I don’t remember that, either.” Eren mumbles, frowning. “I had to call into work because I felt terrible.”

Armin stares off with a stupefied expression, thoughts ricocheting wildly in his brain. His grip loosens on Eren’s hand. He feels like a train has run over him, railed in the least pleasant way possible. Eren is a werewolf, there’s another werewolf running around, Eren and Jean are hooking up, werewolves fucking exist, Eren and Jean are _fucking_. “This is your one chance,” Armin looks at the two of them, his hands clutching at his sweater. “If you’re lying to me, say it right now.” The two stare at Armin, their gazes unwavering. They’re telling the truth. 

“I didn’t know how to tell you, Armin. I wanted to so bad, but I thought… If I just saw you and pretended things were normal, I could worry about this after Christmas and not get you involved.” Eren wrings out his hands, standing up. 

“You weren’t going to tell me you are a fucking werewolf? A lycanthrope with amnesia that has no control over his actions.” Armin stands up as well, keeping his tone even but stern. Eren pales, nodding his head. 

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Eren squeaks, Armin groans out in frustration.

“Goddamn it, Eren. I’m not _stupid_ , I would have found out.” Armin rubs at his face before he begins to pace, trying to think. Eren was in the forest, where? How did Eren get infected? Who is the other wolf? Who attacked Petra Ral’s vehicle? Is Eren the only rogue wolf or is the other also a threat? “Does Mikasa know?” He asks Eren, turning on his heel. Eren shakes his head, shrinking into the chair. 

“I think only you and I know.” Jean pulls his phone out of his slacks and leans back against the door, sighing as he scrolls through a webpage. “I don’t see any other reports of sightings except for that one lady I texted you about.” Armin nods, standing in the middle of the living room. 

“Unless your transformation is triggered again, we should be fine.” Armin takes in a long breath. “It seems like it is caused by high emotion, we will have to make sure we don’t upset you deeply until we figure this out.” Armin sighs, looking over Eren. What did Jean ask that made Eren so viscerally upset? Eren is resting elbows on his knees, sitting with his chin in his hand. 

“I wanted to see you so I could calm down. I was so agitated, I couldn’t sleep or do anything.” Eren looks to Jean. “I thought about calling you once you got off work, but I don’t have my phone. I must’ve lost it when I blacked out.”

“That never crossed my mind.” Jean groans, laying against the couch. “I genuinely thought you were out hunting innocents like game.” 

“Jean.” Armin warns at Eren’s visible discomfort, how Eren’s face twists in disgust. “Eren, we can try and figure things out as we go. Tomorrow, we have to go to your parents’ place, so we can’t do much until after Christmas.” Armin knows they will have to go to the Yeager home at some point tomorrow and stay until after Christmas morning. Armin still has to go get whipped cream he remembers, brows furrowing as he tries to remember if the grocery store is open on Christmas eve.

“But what if it happens again?” Eren drags his hands down his face.

“Well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I think Armin is right. We have to just keep you calm and we can figure more out after Christmas.” Jean settles back. “What can I do?” Jean looks to Armin, to which Armin ogles at him. 

“Why are you asking me? I have no idea what to do besides just keeping a level head.” Armin continues to pace around the living room, staring down at the floor. “I really am at a loss, this is so much to unpack.”

“Let’s hope Mikasa and Mom keep their trash wedding plans to themselves.” Eren grumbles into his palm, causing Armin to swivel on his heel.

“That’s not funny, Eren.” Armin hisses, Eren immediately sits up with a pin straight back.

“Are you… mad?” Eren asks after a beat, he is wearing a genuinely frightened expression. It reminds Armin of a scolded puppy. Armin shakes his head ‘no’, giving Eren a faint smile.

“I am feeling a lot of things, but I’m not mad.” Armin fidgets with his sweater sleeves, thinking back to the car. The wolf they saw that day was the same one that attacked Eren. They only attacked Eren because they were provoked, is that person looking for him?

“If anything happens, call me as soon as you can.” Jean says, locking eyes with Armin. “I’ll be there. For Christmas, I’ll be at my parents’ and that’s just a fifteen minute drive to the Yeagers.” Armin nods, watching Jean open the front door. Armin follows Jean, putting a hand on Jean’s sleeve. 

“Armin?” Eren begins to stand but Armin waves at him.

“I’m not leaving.” Armin motions for him to sit down, following Jean out the door. He keeps it open a crack, Jean turns to face Armin with a raised brow. “If Eren goes on a rampage, what do I do?” He asks in a harsh whisper, searching Jean’s face. 

“Run like hell and call me.” Jean replies honestly, his eyes intense before he lets his gaze fall. “Considering he was headed to you when I found him, I think he needs you. So, do what you do best and help keep Eren level headed. Soothe him if he can’t soothe himself, he’s got too much going on. He needs _you_.” Jean pokes Armin in the chest.

Armin nods slowly, balling his hands into fists. “I can do that. I’ll try.” He shudders from the cold, rubbing at his arms. “I’ll stay in touch, okay?”

“You better.” Jean says with a laugh that doesn’t match the sincerity of his eyes as he walks away. He waves to Armin from the stairs, concern flooding his face. Armin blows a raspberry at Jean, earning a true laugh before Armin lets himself back into Eren’s apartment. 

“Armin.” 

“It’s okay.” Armin lifts his gaze, hanging his coat up and opening his arms. Eren blinks in surprise, looking over Armin before slowly shuffling forward. He hugs Armin tight, squeezing him and grasping at his sweater. Armin holds Eren close, rubbing his back as they embrace. “We’ll figure this out, alright?” Armin promises, tucking his face into Eren’s neck. Eren leans into Armin, warming him as they hug. He nods, barely letting Armin peel away.

“Can we go to bed?” Eren asks in a small voice, running his fingers along the hem of Armin’s sweater. 

“Yeah, I… I’m beat.” Armin admits, kicking off his shoes. Eren steps back, nodding his head towards the bedroom down the hall. He holds Armin’s hand, leading him back to his bedroom. Eren’s room is slightly cluttered, but Armin ignores all of it as he stands in front of Eren’s closet. He steals a glance at Eren’s bed, the mental image of Jean and Eren’s tangled forms flashes before he can push them out. Eren doesn’t need confrontation right now, it’s not like he and Eren are _dating_ anyway.

Eren lays down on his bed, settling there on his stomach. He pushes his arms under his pillow before he turns to peer at Armin from over his bicep. “What are you doing?”

Armin pulls a tee shirt down from Eren’s closet, setting it aside before pulling off his sweater. “Borrowing one of your shirts,” Armin pulls the tee shirt on, letting it cover himself before undoing his pants and tossing them aside. He looks up to see Eren’s gaze, looking back down with a sheepish smile. “Creep.”

“Nice boxers.” Eren teases lightly, opening up the comforter for Armin. He turns off the lights and sets his phone on the nightstand before sliding into Eren’s bed. 

“Thanks, they’re pineapples.” Armin rolls over to face Eren, letting there be a moment of silence. Armin mulls over the fact he is laying with an unpredictable werewolf, he can barely comprehend the scenario that just happened. Absolutely impossible, yet entirely real. Armin sighs, rolling over in the dark.

“Armin?” Eren whispers from his side of the bed. Armin looks over his shoulder, rolling over completely.

“Yes?” Armin smiles, searching the dark for Eren’s face. 

“Can you rub my back?” Eren asks, Armin knows this as a cry for comfort. He used to do this all the time when he would sleep over at Eren’s place. Armin shifts closer, his fingers tracing up and down Eren’s back with a feather-light touch. Eren hums slightly, pressing closer to Armin. “Thank you.”

Armin runs his fingers across Eren’s back, feeling his breath steady and body relax. He doesn’t stop until Eren is deep asleep, only resting his hand flat on Eren’s back in his own attempt to sleep. The closeness brings Armin warmth, allowing him to slip into a restful sleep. 

He feels safe. If anything were to happen, Eren wouldn’t hurt him. Armin is confident in that fact. He could calm Eren down and talk it out, even if Eren is a snarling, insentient beast. Eren trusts Armin, that should be enough. Tomorrow will be its own battle, but they will face it together. Hopefully, the only eventful occurrence will be Armin getting whipped cream in a snowstorm before the grocery store closes.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think! you can find me at goldenmelancholy on tumblr, i want to bounce ideas around if someone is interested (18+ only)! :)


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